Agitator



Feb. 7,1939. J. H. IN GRAHAM AGITATOR I Filed July 9, 1936 W V INVENTOR;

J'os

Patented Feb. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES orrice 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to mixing apparatus and more particularly to what is known as an agitator for stirring and mixing paint or other products shipped or handled in drums or other containers.

In agitators as heretofore constructed. and

which are assembled in a drum by insertion through a bung hole great difficulty has been experienced in attaching a handle to the rotat- 1O able agitator and thereafter. easily rotating the agitator. Also it has been a problem of how to prevent the agitator from becoming displaced during the stirring operation. Furthermore the handle assembly has been expensive and entirely out of proportion in comparison with the agitator proper.

Some of the objects of the present invention are to provide an improved mounting means for i an agitator of the type assembled by insertion through the bung hole of a container: to provide a bearing for one end of an agitator which prevents axial movement of the agitator while operating; to provide a cheap and efficient operating mechanism for an agitator; to provide a 5 novel handle assembly for an agitator; and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of a drum equipped 30 with an agitator embodying one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a detail of the handle end of the drum showing one form of handle of the present invention in position for rotating the agitator; Fig. 3 represents a detail 35 in plan of the bum; hole fitting in place; Fig. 4 represents a detailed perspective of the upper end of the agitator bar; Fig. 5 represents a perspective of one form of operating handle; and Fig. 6 represents a plan of the bung.

40 Referring to the drawing one form of the:

. present invention is shown assembled in. a drum Id for paint of the type having a bung hole ll in one head E2. In the present instance the bung hole 5 i is threaded to receive an annular threaded 45 fitting it so that the flange It thereof can be clamped against a packing washer E5 to prevent leakage. In accordance with the present invention the bore of the fitting I3 is one having two diameters, one it being relatively large and threaded to receive the threaded portion. of the bung or closure ll, while the other it is of circular contour. The encircling wall 2% of the bore it forms a circular ledge 2| which serves as. a bearing support for a pin 22 from which the .55 agitator bar 23 is suspended. Thus in assembled attempt of the bar 23 to move towards the bung 10 3 hole is prevented .by the engagement of the shoul ders 25 with the adjacent face of the fitting 13. The width of the tongue 26 is such as to enter the bore 58 with a relatively snug fit so that while I there is sufiicient clearance for it to turn relative l5 1 to the fitting it, there is no binding of one part on the other as will interfere with the free rotation of the bar 23 about its axis.

While the agitator ,bar 23 may be of any suitable shape for efficiently stirring the contents of 20 the drum It, the preferred form is a straight axially disposed bar 23 of rectangular section having its lower end bent at right angles thereto to form a radially disposed arm 21 which terminates in an agitating blade 28 extending to- 25 wards the middle of the drum and generally parallel to the axis thereof. The axial portion of the bar 23 joins the arm 2'! by an offset 30 which serves to properly locate the bearing hole 3| in the arm 21 in co-axial relation with the main 30 part of the bar 23. This hole 3! receives a pivot pin 32 which is welded in proper axial position in the head 33 of the drum III.

In order to rotate the bar 23 Within the drum Ill, a novel handle 3t is provided having an 35 angular-1y disposed hand grip 35 at one end and an ingenious bar engaging assembly at the other end. This assembly, as here shown, consists of a downwardly disposed bifurcated gripping implement forming two hook members 36 so spaced 40 apart as to receive and straddle the reduced end of the bar 23. Each of the members 36 is provided with bearing faces 38 to coact with the inner face of the fitting i3 and thus maintain the handle in proper horizontal position for operating purposes. This bracing of the handle under the fitting assisted by a lug 48 formed at the required place on the handle to rest upon the upper face of the fitting 53 when the-handle is in operating position. A key M is also formed on the handle 34 of the shape necessary to fit a shaped recess #32 in the bung H, for the purpose of turning the bung to or from its closed position in the fitting 13. Preferably a washer t? is interposed between the fitting l3 and the 56 bung I! to prevent leakage during shipment or otherwise.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that once assembled in a drum the bar 23 is prevented, at all times and under all conditions, from riding vertically upward to become displaced. This is made possible in the present construction by the notched bar end whereby a tongue 25 can only enter the fitting [3 while the shoulders 25 act as stops against the inner face of the fitting. Displacement of the bar 23 in the opposite direction is prevented because it is suspended by the fixed pin 22 which rides upon the ledge 2|. Thus in one direction of axial movement the bar 23 is restrained by means formed upon the bar, while in the opposite direction of axial movement the bar 23 is restrained by the ledge 21 of the fitting l3 coacting with a part on the bar 23.

When it is desired to stir the contents of the drum 5%, the drum is placed in an upright posiition (such as shown in Fig, 1) and the handle 34 is then placed with the key 4| inserted in the recess 42. By rotating the handle 34 in the proper direction the bung IT can be unscrewed from the fitting to permit access to the accessible stirring bar 23. With the bung I! removed the handle 34 is brought to a position where the torque producing implement can be lowered into the fitting bore I6 to straddle the tongue 26 with its ends under the pin 22, being there held by upward thrust of the bifurcations against the lower face of the fitting l3 and the downward thrust of the lug on the upper face of the fitting l3. By turning the handle 34 in a plane parallel to the head [2, the bar 23 and its agitating elements will be caused to travel around and around within the drum for complete and efficient mixing of the product.

While only a single form is shown in which this invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific construction, but might be applied to various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the character stated, a fitting arranged to fit the bung hole of a container, said fitting having a bore therethrough, a bung for closing one end of said fitting, an agitator bar in said drum having one end located in said bore, means carried by said bar to coact with said fitting to prevent downward movement of said bar, and means carried by said bar to coact with the inner face of said fitting to prevent.

upward movement of said bar, and handle means arranged to cooperate with said bar to turn the latter when said hung is removed.

2. In a device of the character stated, the combination of a fitting arranged to fit the bung hole of a container, said fitting having a bore opening into said container, an agitator bar having a tongue to enter said bore and a shoulder to limit the movement of said tongue within said bore, means to suspend said bar from said fitting, and a handlle for engaging said bar for turning movement.

3. In a device of the character stated, the combination of a fitting arranged to be mounted in the bung hole of a container, said fitting having a bore opening into said container and a ledge encircling said bore, an agitator bar having a reduced end forming a tongue to enter said bore and shoulders to abut said fitting to limit movement of said bar in one direction, a pin traversing said tongue to seat on said ledge to suspend said bar in operative position, and a handle for rotating said bar.

4. In a device of the character stated, the combination of a fitting arranged to be mounted in the bung hole of a container, said fitting having a bore opening into said container and a ledge encircling said bore, an agitator bar having a reduced end forming a tongue to enter said bore and shoulders to abut said fitting to limit movement of said bar in one direction, a pin traversing said tongue to seat on said ledge to suspend said bar in operative position, a handle, and a bifurcated implement on said handle to enter said bore and straddle said bar whereby turning of said handle rotates said bar.

JOSEPH HOLT INGRAHAIVI. 

